Spring Bears With Hounds Proposed

[Hawk Tuah]

Idaho, I agree with much of what you claim as facts. I'm a FACT guy too. People try to "Perceive" things that might or might not happen. That's what much of what we do trying to figure out what certain legislation will do. We are not professionals just hunters.

I'm curious as to how happy the rest of the houndsmen are, with the opportunities that have been afforded to trappers with this legislature? Now that snares are going to be used in force, it makes me "Perceive" problems that might arise from this conflict. You know about the rise in a certain type of snare called a "Power snare"? Just wondering what your dealings with this issue in Idaho might be? BTW, I trap, and run hounds.

I can answer your question from my perspective, as well as from other hound guys I know.

I support trapping and trappers. It is a traditional means of take, an effective management tool, and quite neat in many ways. I bring snare cutters with me, and have extras that go into the packs of anyone who comes with me. I hope I never have to use them, and if I do, I hope it isn't too late.

I don't trap. I have mixed feeling about my own personal participation and thus far have chosen not to. I won't elaborate because it isn't constructive. But I support trapping and see it as an extension of hunting that needs protection and needs people outside of the sport who do not participate to support it. Although I do not personally trap, I could see myself potentially participating at some point. I am not there yet.

As far as houndsmen I know, many trap, and all of them that I have spoken with specifically about it support trapping.

Trappers I know are excellent woodsmen.

In Idaho, hound hunting and trapping are specifically protected in our state constitution. That is not an exaggeration or a joke. In Idaho we have a constitutional right to hunt and fish, which explicitly includes traditional means of take. It would take a lot to change this as it is not just law, but included in the constitution...not just a majority in each chamber and a governor's signature will make it go away.

 

[EYJONAS!]

I think you all have the misconception that there will be houndsmen everywhere ruining your favorite spots. Maybe on open roads legal to motorized vehicles and as they follow their dogs. But realistically the amount of houndsmen in the population is a fraction of a percent. There aren’t many around. And then if you hunt in very heavy wolf country there will be more than likely no houndsmen. And like @IdahoNick said, most Montana guys aren’t going to have dogs that are good for bear hunting. They will have good lion dogs. Bears are a completely different story compared to a lion. And with it still being illegal to bait they will only be on the roads. I’m not sure I’d free cast dogs in that country. Especially dogs who’ve never been on bear. I really doubt it hurts many of you spot and stalk guys who get off the roads other than maybe once in a blue moon when a bear struck off a road goes through it with dogs behind it.

What's your story archery? You got some pretty extensive houndsman knowledge? I'm just curious?

 

[archerynut21]

What's your story archery? You got some pretty extensive houndsman knowledge? I'm just curious?

I’m from Idaho, I’m fairly new to hounds but put a lot of my time and money into them. I have a lot of time trying to find tracks for lions in the snow. Went over 50 days and treed 6 this winter. The amount of houndsmen this year was more than last year by a lot. Most of those guys I think got dogs because they had time due to covid. Bears have been hard for me. Even though 2 of our dogs are tried and true on them where they come out of in southern Utah. I had people messing with baits of mine last year and cameras. I’m not here to name names and I will not name names. But I know who they are. Then I moved my baits. We were doing pretty good, although we didn’t tree a bear due to not having dogs all of the time. I’m a ranch hand, just about out of high school, and springtime is busy. But about a week into training season, where you cannot take bears but you can tree them, I ran into wolves within a quarter mile of a bait. Pulled them and left. This year between a friend and I plus a few family members who want to go we have put a lot of money into being ready. We didn’t wait to put baits out. The lower elevation ones were set on opening day. We are just waiting for a bear to come in. Also due to last years problems we moved to a different unit. So I’m still learning. But I understand it. I know a lot of the houndsmen around here. We don’t like ruining anything for anyone else. Some are dicks but there will be dicks no matter what part of hunting you look at. They aren’t out there trying to ruin it for others. They are out there to let their dogs hunt. Those dogs are, as Idaho Nick said, like kids on Christmas every time they go into the box. It is what they love to do. Although I haven’t treed a bear with my own hounds yet my dad used to chase bears with a guy he knew. They’d chase bears for sometimes 25 miles a day. Although he was there to take one he never did as none that went up the tree were ever the right age class or sex. Which is another good thing about it. We can accurately judge animals in the tree. Most of the time at least. I’m just a young buck learning what I can but I’ll tell you this, hounds have been one of my all time greatest decisions.

 

[Hawk Tuah]

I’m from Idaho, I’m fairly new to hounds but put a lot of my time and money into them. I have a lot of time trying to find tracks for lions in the snow. Went over 50 days and treed 6 this winter. The amount of houndsmen this year was more than last year by a lot. Most of those guys I think got dogs because they had time due to covid. Bears have been hard for me. Even though 2 of our dogs are tried and true on them where they come out of in southern Utah. I had people messing with baits of mine last year and cameras. I’m not here to name names and I will not name names. But I know who they are. Then I moved my baits. We were doing pretty good, although we didn’t tree a bear due to not having dogs all of the time. I’m a ranch hand, just about out of high school, and springtime is busy. But about a week into training season, where you cannot take bears but you can tree them, I ran into wolves within a quarter mile of a bait. Pulled them and left. This year between a friend and I plus a few family members who want to go we have put a lot of money into being ready. We didn’t wait to put baits out. The lower elevation ones were set on opening day. We are just waiting for a bear to come in. Also due to last years problems we moved to a different unit. So I’m still learning. But I understand it. I know a lot of the houndsmen around here. We don’t like ruining anything for anyone else. Some are dicks but there will be dicks no matter what part of hunting you look at. They aren’t out there trying to ruin it for others. They are out there to let their dogs hunt. Those dogs are, as Idaho Nick said, like kids on Christmas every time they go into the box. It is what they love to do. Although I haven’t treed a bear with my own hounds yet my dad used to chase bears with a guy he knew. They’d chase bears for sometimes 25 miles a day. Although he was there to take one he never did as none that went up the tree were ever the right age class or sex. Which is another good thing about it. We can accurately judge animals in the tree. Most of the time at least. I’m just a young buck learning what I can but I’ll tell you this, hounds have been one of my all time greatest decisions.

You're a true houndsman. You're in it for the dogs. You'll get the bear thing figured out this year. They are fun and the weather is a lot nicer than January lions.

 

[archerynut21]

You're a true houndsman. You're in it for the dogs. You'll get the bear thing figured out this year. They are fun and the weather is a lot nicer than January lions.

Thanks! I appreciate that. The finished dogs we have have taught me a hell of a lot more than I’ve taught them. The pups I have are learning from them. Heck the youngest pup treed a lion all by himself this winter! He’s only about a year and a half old and he’s showing some promise. I sure hope bear season turns out good. My goal is to tree at least a few. Although I think bears will be fun I’m not sure it can come close to what I’ve experienced while chasing lions and bobcats.

 

[shoots-straight]

Idaho's not just after wolves, they decided all predators need killing. So lion quota's are gone, some Bear areas have added additional bears to the take. You all are in agreement to kill as many predators as possible? The Houndsmen I know in the Root are not lion killers so much as they are into the chase. If those laws happened here I can assure you a cry across the land like you've never heard before.

BTW this is a Ram Power snare video for those who care. My "perception" is that the cable cutters wouldn't really help much other than getting your dog out to take home. I know people that lost dogs this past season to these devices, and they were only the coyote snare.

 

[archerynut21]

Trust me we aren’t at all happy about the quotas being gone. Lion tracks are already tough to find. Now it will make it even harder. We all gave our input but fish and game didn’t care. They say the lion numbers will be fine. Whatever I guess. Seems like they need a scapegoat for their own mismanagement of deer herds. I chase lions in places that they say are overpopulated with cats. They say there are cats everywhere. Well all of my time spent looking for their tracks must mean I’m either really bad at finding tracks or they’re not being totally truthful......

 

[shoots-straight]

Trust me we aren’t at all happy about the quotas being gone. Lion tracks are already tough to find. Now it will make it even harder. We all gave our input but fish and game didn’t care. They say the lion numbers will be fine. Whatever I guess. Seems like they need a scapegoat for their own mismanagement of deer herds. I chase lions in places that they say are overpopulated with cats. They say there are cats everywhere. Well all of my time spent looking for their tracks must mean I’m either really bad at finding tracks or they’re not being totally truthful......

You vote GOP (most Idahoan's and Montanans do), so this is the management that follows. "Voting matters" cannot be stated any louder right now.

 

[Trap]

Save your political BS for somebody else the kids still in High School for christ sake .

Times 2 ! Or let’s vote for the anti hunting anti gun other side lol that makes sense

 

[archerynut21]

Times 2 ! Or let’s vote for the anti hunting anti gun other side lol that makes sense

Times 3! We don’t even need to get into any of that type of political stuff here.

 

[Trap]

I trap and hound hunt. It’s actually a pretty good combination during lion season. My trapping pardner was a long time hard trapper and I was a long time houndsmen. A lot of houndsmen don’t like trappers and some trappers don’t like houndsmen. I have found it can be a deadly combination a trapper and a houndsmen when we want it to be. I want to reiterate what Idaho Nick said about g-bears- hounds have been on the trail of grizzlies every year for decades. Where are all the dead houndsmen, dogs and grizzlies.? Having your dogs on. Grizzly is not a great day but it can be dealt with. The wolves,traps and grizzlies are all part of the game now. It is up to the hound owner to not turn his dogs into bad situations. The dogs will still sometimes get in bad situations but the dogs are doing the one thing they live for. Most,not all, hound hunters love their dogs like family and will not be hunting wolf or grizzly infested areas even if they are open. I have had Montana hunters draw a hound permit and bear hunt with me in Idaho and they will be catching bears in Montana. there will be a major learning curve with bear hunting for many but some that I know will be pretty successful too. The grizzly and wolf thing is a scare tactic and the only difference between much of Idaho and Montana is a line on a map. The ram power snares are a terrible idea and 200 percent unnecessary. Regular snares are super effective and won’t kill most hounds that are broke to lead on a leash because they won’t continue to pull and choke themselves out.

 

[mtmiller]

Made me chuckle. Carry on.

 

[Sytes]

Broad brush stroke placed in check by new-er members.

There is hope...

Voting is a cluster F mine field. Weaving the balance scale of political figures has value. I voted some D's and R's last election. It's a chit sandwich we all eat. Some bites into areas we'd prefer not at the value in enhancement of other areas.

Environment, Conservation, GDP, Immigration, 2A, etc...

You're right, "voting matters".

 

[archerynut21]

I trap and run hounds. Never have had issues. Although there is a chance. I’m not sure the wolf thing is a scare tactic. I have heard of and seen the pictures of plenty of hounds killed by wolves. Wolves are my worth nightmare when it comes to running dogs. I wish they’d open up the wolf trapping class around me so I could trap some of them...

 

[BuzzH]

Save your political BS for somebody else the kids still in High School for christ sake .

Keep that in mind next time a trapping ban is on the ballot...lets ignore it, because its political.

Good luck to the hound hunters and the trappers using power snares, lets all just get along.

 

[Trap]

I trap and run hounds. Never have had issues. Although there is a chance. I’m not sure the wolf thing is a scare tactic. I have heard of and seen the pictures of plenty of hounds killed by wolves. Wolves are my worth nightmare when it comes to running dogs. I wish they’d open up the wolf trapping class around me so I could trap some of them...

I agree wolves major problem for hounds had a buddy get half his bear pack wiped out. That is something that Idaho and Montana hounds have been dealing with for years. As we have learned to hunt around wolves there is LESS dead dogs not more. I think they are way overplaying the interaction of g bears and hounds though. It’s like the end of ever delisting grizzlies but hounds been hunting around them for years. I agree wolves and hounds are bad combo but they overdoing that as a disaster too we already hunt around wolves most hunters make decisions to protect their dogs.

 

[Eric Albus]

Save your political BS for somebody else the kids still in High School for christ sake .

You vote GOP (most Idahoan's and Montanans do), so this is the management that follows. "Voting matters" cannot be stated any louder right now.

Sooo, vote GOP and have fewer predators and more ungulates, what’s not to live here????

 

[shoots-straight]

Sooo, vote GOP and have fewer predators and more ungulates, what’s not to live here????

Less Elk and Deer too. Lets not forget who sponsored and passed House Bill 42 in 2003 that forced the MTFW&P's to set socially acceptable Elk Objectives across the state. We're are living with those Objectives not being complied with in Shoulder seasons, and all the other bills designed to kill more game. Even If we killed off all the Predators you hate, we still will not be able to raise any more Elk. We are sitting at 150,000 head statewide, and the legislature won't be happy until we're sitting at 90,000.

 

[shoots-straight]

Save your political BS for somebody else the kids still in High School for christ sake .

I'll post anything I feel like as long as it doesn't break the rules in place by this forum. The kid is of voting age is he not? If you don't like my posts I recommend you put me on ignore.

 

[shoots-straight]

Times 2 ! Or let’s vote for the anti hunting anti gun other side lol that makes sense

I doubt many D's in Montana or Idaho are anti gun, and anti hunting. There's plenty of good ones that ran, many that are far more qualified the the R that beat them. The discussion turns to politics when it's the politicians that are dictating biology.